The COVID-19 Blame Game

While we are focused on the medical and economic ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic others are starting to look at a totally different element and one that will likely decide the outcome of the presidential election in November.

The “blame game” is now underway and will certainly get more and more attention as days, weeks and months go by.

The way it works is when something bad happens there needs to be an individual or group to blame and when it comes to COVID-19 there are no shortage of candidates. Topping the list of course is President Trump who has himself put the blame on China for not telling the truth about the virus.

Of course there are plenty of others who will get blamed for the seriousness of what has happened in the U.S. including medical officials who did not raise red flags, governors who waited way too long to issue stay-at-home orders, those in the cruise industry, spring breakers who gathered like nothing was happening and of course the media because the media gets some blame for everything.

There’s plenty of criticism to go around but before long what it’s going to come down to is: did President Trump’s lack of action back in January and February allow this pandemic to become the killer that it has?

That question will be asked by Democrats in congress and former Vice President Joe Biden who is looking to force Trump to vacate the White House next January. When the race heats up don’t expect to hear too much about terrorism, guns, climate change, immigration, education, foreign trade and race relations.

This election will come down to one issue and that will simply be Trump’s handling of the crisis and his ability to get the economy back on track in one form or another.

Biden will obviously benefit if the public perceives that the president and his administration waited too long to respond to the virus and are to blame. The former VP will of course try and convince voters that this would not have happened under his watch which is why they should elect him to the nation’s highest office.

Of course he has a history of putting his foot in his mouth so for now Biden’s best tactic would be to say nothing and let everything play out although that’s not likely.